The Kids Aren't Alright
by hisrealnameisclarence
Summary: Growing up it was always just Lorelai, Rory, Maddie, and Lori. That is until Lori is sent to a boarding school and Maddie is drifting into a life of crime. Now, Lorelai is forced to understand that her kids aren't alright. Jess/OC
1. pain

The second she saw the report, Emmeline stormed into her house, stomped right up the stairs, and slammed her bedroom door shut so hard that the windows shook.

She immediately scoured her room looking for the stupid metallic box filled with pictures of her supposed father, Christopher. It took a while, but when she finally found it, all she could do was glare at him. She ripped the photographs of her parents into confetti, but it still didn't release her of the terrible pain she felt.

She ignored her mother banging on the bedroom door. Begging, pleading, sobbing for her to open it up.

But Emmeline just couldn't. She was too shaken up with so much pent up rage that she just couldn't take it anymore. Emmeline let out a cry of unleashed rage and ransacked the entire room she shared with Rory to the point of total uncontrolled chaos. Lamps, mirrors, and delicate trinkets were shattered. Dressers, tables, and beds were flipped. Posters, photographs, and clothing were ripped to shreds. Everything and anything were competely destoryed.

And at the end of the storm, Emmeline still felt the pain. The never ending, heart aching, and competely uncontrollable pain.

She didn't even remember how it happened. All she remembered was Luke carrying her down the stairs and onto his truck. Then, it was a bunch of bright lights and urgent talking. Next thing she knew, she woke up at 3 am in a hospital bed all by herself with a cast on her left arm.

Nothing was the same in the Gilmore household after that melt down. Lorelai and Emmeline's perfect relationship was tossed into a dirty gutter. All the I love you's Emmeline used to tell her mother in the mornings was replaced with the silent treatment or eye rolls and grunts. She avoided Rory by switching rooms with Maddie and joining a ton of after school activities. Maddie was the only one that could speak to Emmeline without being yelled at. It was why their relationship grew stronger than ever before.

And as time went on, Emmeline became damn near unrecognizable. Her perfect grades became average. Her long blonde hair turned into collarbone length black. And her attitude was just awful. The amount of fights she got into was so alarming that she forced to go to a Catholic boarding school in Oregon.

Maddie became somewhat distant from her family the more Emmeline was gone. To cheer her up, Lorelai told her about her acceptance to Chilton with Rory. Instead it just made her angry, but was done was done. So, there she was. Forced to go to Chilton with Rory and attend really hard classes when everyone damn well knew she was public school average.

And this is where the story begins with Maddie and Rory in the dean's office at their new prestigious school.


	2. dean's office

**1X02 LORELAI'S FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL PART I**

" Don't you think that it's boring, how people talk? " — Lorde, _Tennis Courts_

"I didn't think it was possible, but I might be dying of boredom."

Maddie proclaimed as she turned on her hearing aid. She had it off the entire time in order for her mom and sister to get the memo that she didn't want to talk to them that morning. Their annoying bickering usually gave her intense migraines.

Emily stared at her granddaughter completely appalled at her sudden outburst. There she was waiting for the dean of a very prestigious private school that many children would kill to get into and she had the audacity to say such a horrendous thing like that aloud.

"Maddalena!" she scolded.

Lorelai laughed at her daughter's sudden outburst of boredom and pulled her into a comforting side hug. Making sure to not irritate the left arm with the cast. She broke it cheerleading the day before school started last month. "Relax, young padawan."

Maddie childishly crossed her arms and huffed out in frustration. "How could you possibly enroll me to attend a school I don't care about without my permission? Seriously, Ma. Why? Just why? What about my friends? What about my team?"

Emily put a hand on her granddaughter's shoulder as an attempt to calm her down. "Oh, you'll be fine, Maddalena."

Maddie stared at her grandmother in complete and utter confusion. "I flunked out of 4th grade, Emily. I'm surprised they even are letting me in their school with my attendance record. 120 tardies and absences during 7th grade and 40 of them during 8th. Thank God that this is the beginning of my freshman year and that I only have 3 absences and 4 tardies so far."

Hearing Maddie's awful attendance record almost made Emily recoil in disgust at her daughter's lack of responsibility toward her granddaughter. 120 tardies and absences from her education was inexcusable.

"Jesus, Lorelai," Emily said. "How is she even passing school?"

"Well, mother," Lorelai began. "Maddie isn't."

"What on Earth are you talking about?"

"In the state of Connecticut. 30 or more absences is considered failing a grade and 90 tardies are equivalent to 30 absences. But luckily, her school erases all absences and tardies throughout the entire school year if she maintains her B average."

To relieve Maddie of her anxiety, Lorelai put an arm around her child. "You're an intelligent, beautiful, and determined young girl, Maddie. The world is at your feet. You will do great things at this school. Just have a little faith in yourself and you'll knock their socks off with that genius brain of yours."

Maddie's hands temporarily clenched at her mother's words. For the past couple of days, she had been trying to reach her mother to take her out of Chilton. Yet, no matter what, Lorelai doesn't seem to listen to her.

Maddie knew the only reason her mother was forcing education in her was because of her messed up shoulder. If it weren't for the fact that she wouldn't be all up on her grill.

Maddie leaned into her mother's touch and smiled at her. "Thanks, mom for that pep talk, but I don't believe you. Not even a little bit. This school will be the end of Maddelena Lorelai Gilmore."

Almost as if the universe heard Maddie's prediction the dean doors opened and out came Rory and Dean Charleston.

"Ms. Gilmore," Dean Charleston said, beckoning her to enter the chamber.

Maddie got up from her chair, pulled her blazer down, pressed her glasses up, and took a deep calming breath. "Thank you, mom. You can leave now. You too, Emily. I have no idea why you're even here."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter and dorkily gave her a thumb up of encouragement and a big smile. Something Maddie readily chose to ignore. With that, Emily and Lorelai bid Rory a goodbye and left the school.


	3. enough

**1X02 LORELAI'S FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL PART II**

" Making smart with their words again, well, I'm bored " — Lorde, _Tennis Courts_

"I noticed you're not academically talented," the Dean flat out told her.

Maddie scrunched up her face at the insult. _Ouch._ "Wow, that hurt my feelings."

The dean didn't even seem to care. "The truth is sometimes tough to handle," he simply answered.

She shot him a quick sarcastic smile. "I noticed."

Despite the aura of Maddelena not at all feel comfortable in the office with the middle-aged man, he continued to lower her already low self-esteem with each word he said. "Your test scores are mediocre at best. Your grades are average. Attendance is atrocious. The only thing that got you into this fine institution is your extracurriculars. Unlike your sister, you have a multitude of them. Nationally ranked cheerleader, regional winning dance champion, local Miss Stars Hollow, student council member. The list goes on, but nothing exceptionally academic in the slightest."

 _Oh, so he really going there?_ she thought.

Dean Charleton put her file down, clamped his hands together, and leaned forward curiously. "Now, what exactly do you hope to accomplish by attending my school?"

Maddie shrugged. Truth be told, she didn't want to be in Chilton nor did she care. Education was education to her, regardless of the price. But the getting into Chilton was important for Lorelai. She already sacrificed so much to get her in it. The least she could do for her mother was fight for her spot.

"I hope to expand my horizon, I guess. I mean I'm not stupid, but I'm not a wicked genius. Just give me time. I know I'm a slow learner, but I learn. Eventually."

The dean stared at Maddie for a little while longer before speaking. "Where do you see yourself in 20 years?"

"I don't know."

"Where do you plan to go to college?"

"I don't know."

"Do you even know what major you plan to study?"

"Not really."

He sighed. "Then, what exactly do you know, Ms Gilmore?"

Maddie tried her hardest not to cry at the administrator's tone. Since she was a kid, Maddie had severe anxiety, nearly crippling. Her partial deafness was at fault. It made her incredibly insecure as she grew up. The other part was that she never actually went to school due to all the doctor's appointments so, she never had any friends.

However, the day Lorelai put Maddie in 8U soccer, it dramatically helped her gain confidence, but she still had a problem with authority figures yelling at her. Whether it by Luke, the local diner owner, or Freddie, the town sheriff. She didn't know why, but that was the one thing that could break her front.

"I don't know, Dean Charleton," Maddie simply said. "I'm 15, sir. I'm not supposed to know anything. I know people in this school have their whole lives planned out, but I don't. And I know that's not the answer you're looking for, but that's the answer I'm giving you."

The dean crossed her arms. "Tell me one thing you know," he demanded.

Maddie ran a hand through her hair. Flipping part of her long bangs to the other side of her face. It was a nervous habit that she picked up from her ex-best friend, Carmen Cardona. "The one thing I do know is if you give me time, I'll figure it out. I always do. Just like I'll figure out this Helen Keller thing. Promise. Just give me time. Please."

Another long awkward pause of silence occurred, but this time Dean Charleton was studying her instead of scrutinizing her being. Maddie's level of uncomfortableness immediately raised to an overwhelming amount. Luckily, it didn't last long.

"Go to Miss James in the front." He handed Maddie her file.

Maddie said a quick thanks and took the file from him and gathered her belongings. Just as she was about going to leave, Headmaster Charleston called on her.

"Ms Gilmore, you might find if you open yourself up a bit, you'll flourish at Chilton," he said earnestly.

Maddie thought what he was saying was complete and utter bullshit. She was average and that was that. But she was raised right so, Maddie gave him a fake smile. "Thank you, Headmaster."

With that, Maddie left his office. Finding herself in the middle of an empty hallway out of anyone's eyesight, Maddie let out her frustration and stress. She stomped quietly and yelled into her backpack. Maddie has to prevent herself from banging her head against a pillar from the embarrassment of the meeting.

"Why can't you just be like Rory?" Maddie whispered to herself.

Maddie threw herself 30 more seconds of the pity party before regaining her composure.

You are strong.

You are kind.

And you are enough.

Maddie flipped her unruly long brown hair over her shoulder and threw on her best fake smile, making her way to the lady at the front desk.

"Miss James, correct?" she asked the secretary.


	4. build a bridge

**1X02 LORELAI'S FIRST DAY AT SCHOOL PART II** I

" We crave a different kind of buzz " — Lorde, _Royals_

"You look a bit lost," a random boy told her.

Maddie was currently standing in the middle of an empty hallway staring at a backdoor entrance. She could honestly leave.

The promise she made with her mother about trying was a complete and utter sham. The second she entered her first classroom and was hit with a brick of work to catch up on, all her hopes fell down the drain. Chilton was going to do a number of Maddie Gilmore and she knew it.

"Like emotionally or physically?" Maddie questioned.

The blonde laughed. "Physically," he answered. "I can help you find your class if you want me to."

Maddie shrugged. "I don't think, I want to go to class."

"What are you going to do?" he asked. "Ditch? It's a closed campus. They'll catch you before you leave. Trust me."

Maybe it was the fact that Maddie didn't want to go to the stupid school or maybe it was the fact that the guy before her was becoming mildly interesting with each passing second. Or perhaps this lame ass school was slowly dwindling her criteria of what interesting actually is. Whatever the reason was, Maddie continued the conversation on instead of walking away mid-sentence as she would normally do in Stars Hollow.

"Clearly, you've never met me," she told him. There was a slight hint of arrogance in her voice that made him attracted to her although she didn't look conventionally pretty. With big glasses, braces, a cast on her arm, and a messy ponytail she looked a bit like a mess. Someone, he would never be caught dead with. However, that didn't mean that he couldn't mess with her.

"Tristan DuGray." He gave her his signature smile and extended his hand for her to shake.

Maddie stared at it and didn't even make an attempt to try and shake. She wasn't at Chilton to make friends. She was there to get an education and go.

Tristan dejectedly put his hand away. "Maddie Gilmore."

Before their conversation could go any further, Maddie saw a teacher about to come around the corner from the reflection of the trophy case. If there was one thing that public school taught her was everyone for themselves.

"Gotta blast." With that Maddie left Tristan to recite their school song in Latin.

The rest of the day went relatively slow. In each class she went to she got more and more homework and classwork for no absolute reason. The amount of work she got today equaled the amount she did last school year in total. Which was just bullshit. Either this school cared too much her last one cared too little. It didn't matter, Maddie was going to take her C and go.

Sometime during that day Maddie's inquisitive nature came out and she finally to talk to one other person other than the teachers and administrators. She asked two people what the school social scene was. Apparently, everyone thought they were so important that the entire world just had to revolve around them. Everyone was selfish and cruel because they all wanted to be the best.

By the time lunch came along, Maddie was so done with everything that she didn't even attempt to be social. She just holed herself off in the corner of the library and listened to music on her mp3 player as she played on her GameBoy. If Maddie Gilmore from last year could see her now, she not only would call that girl a loser, she would be ashamed.

Fortunately, Maddie was able to distance herself enough from anyone else that day that she was only referred to as 'New Girl'. Unlike her older sister was called 'Mary' and 'Virgin Mary' throughout the halls.

Despite the fact that Maddie was a freshman, she did have one sophomore history class and it just happened to be with her sister.

"Rory," Maddie said when she saw her sister. It looked as though she was debating whether or not to enter the classroom.

Rory shot her a weak smile before she entered the classroom. Not even thinking that Maddie could potentially have any classes with her.

Although History wasn't Maddie's worst class, she still didn't want to enter. So, she waited a good minute after the bell rang. Only to see Rory and some other girl standing up.

"You're late," Ms Ness commented.

"I got lost," Maddie lied and took the only available seat in the back corner. She made sure to avoid Tristan DuGray at all costs. Sure he was nice in the hallway earlier that morning, but she asked about him to this quiet girl in her Biology class. Apparently, he was nothing except privileged trouble. Something she could live without.

Maddie basically tried to block out the teacher when she heard her name being called.

"I have a Lorelai Gilmore," Ms Ness said.

"Present," Maddie said as Rory, "That's me."

"You are both Rory and Lorelai Gilmore?" Ms Ness questioned.

Maddie felt like banging her head against the desk. For a school made for smart people they sure had some dumb ass teachers. "Oh my God, it's just a nickname."

"Yes and I wrecked her project," Rory explained. "My locked got stuck."

"Stay out of this," Paris warned her.

Maddie rolled her eyes. This girl truly was as obnoxious as everyone told her and more.

"You go by Rory or Lorelai?" Ms. Ness continued to question.

"Whatever," Rory answered. "It's not her fault."

Ms. Ness looked pointedly at the sisters. "I need you to pick one."

"One what?" the Gilmore girls asked.

"One name."

"Rory," Rory said while Maddie replied, "Maddie."

"Fine!" Ms. Ness said. "Thank you."

Maddie's face scrunched up in annoyance. "Bitch," she said in a low voice.

Her little comment gathered the attention of the girl in front of him. She was genuinely surprised by Maddie's crude behavior. Well, what they thought was crude, in her old public school it was normal. If teachers were being mean, it was law to call them out. How were they to think they were better with their overpaid babysitting job?

Maddie genuinely tried to take a much-needed nap, but that sound of the quick escalation of teenage melodrama between Rory and Paris was giving starting to give her a migraine.

"Just stay out of this!" Paris yelled.

Maddie scoffed and hollered from behind her desk. There was no way in hell she was going to get up. Her back hurt from carrying encyclopedias all day, but she was sure as hell going to defend Rory. "She's just trying to be nice, you irrational bitch," Maddie told her. Due to the drama going on earlier, no one really noticed Maddie. So, everyone in the classroom collectively turned to see her. They were surprised that another new girl was also in their class. "Maybe you should look into that sometime before you go all blitzkrieg on everyone, Adolf."

"Ms. Gilmore!" the teacher scolded.

"Ah, build a bridge. why don't yer?" Maddie retorted without thinking. When she realized what she was just said it was already too late.

Ms. Ness pointed outside the door. "Dean's office! Now!"

Maddie grabbed her backpack off the ground and every single Stephen King novel she was given by her previous teachers. There was no way she was going to apologize for the disrespect she had just given. Who did people think she was? A rational human being? "Gladly," she told her as she made her way out of the classroom. "I don't even want to be in this pretentious school anyway."


End file.
